In Another Life
by owleyesseattle
Summary: When Natsu hears word of Igneel, he sets out by himself, leaving behind a hurt Lucy and essentially abandoning Happy. In his absence, Lucy finds herself turning to someone who she had never really considered in a light beyond friendship: Gray.
1. Chapter 1: Summer Clouds

**My first fanfic! I'm so excited to begin putting down these crazy ideas that have been floating around in my head, hopefully it will be enjoyable for someone out there. Reviews are welcome, I always love to hear feedback :)**

 **Chapter 1: Summer Clouds**

"NATSU! You. Thieving. PARASITE!"

Lucy's voice echoed throughout the small apartment, and flew out the window in percussive waves that struck the eardrums of passers-by, leaving those with fully intact hearing covering their ears and granting the small apartment on Strawberry Street a silent glare that carried with it an unspoken exclamation of " _Sweet Mavis, is that really necessary?!"_. From those more familiar with the area though, the only result was a light chuckle. Clearly the salmon-haired boy's appetite had gotten him in trouble again. His pitiful attempt to save himself would be following soon, in 3…2…1…

"Aw, come on Luce! Don't be like that!" One could almost appreciate his bravery in the face of one Lucy Heartfilia's wrath. But the resounding crash that emitted next spelled the end of that, as a muscle-bound boy wearing a muffler leapt from the window and took off down the street running, a blonde haired girl wielding a frying pan quickly appearing in the space he had vacated.

"NATSU! YOU HAVE A HOUSE TOO YOU KNOW! SO QUIT BARGING INTO MINE!"

Ah yes, another peaceful day on Strawberry Street.

Inside of her apartment, Lucy Heartfilia angrily huffed and closed her window, making sure to set the lock in place. Not that it really mattered, since Natsu would undoubtedly find a way to get past it using God knows whatever sorcery. She pondered whether or not his flames would be useful in such an endeavor as she padded to the kitchen to put away her frying pan and begin to clean up the mess he had left behind. Dirty dishes everywhere (but no silverware one might add, her utensils remained untouched in their drawer next to the sink), empty packages strewn about at random, and scraps of food littering the floor. Not a pretty sight.

She picked up a few of the plates and deposited them in the sink while toying with the idea of relocating to a new apartment in secret, stopping to check the fridge along the way. As she expected, the gentle push of cold air that greeted her when she opened the door was accompanied with the sight of completely devoid shelves, except for a small container of fish that she kept stocked for Happy, which was untouched since the exceed had decided to accompany Wendy and Charle on a job for the next couple of weeks. She sighed, knowing that now she would have to go buy more groceries, and closed the door.

Despite all of her griping though, she really did love her boys. Happy was an adorable little guy whose quirky sense of humor made her chuckle (when she didn't feel the urge to skin him alive), while Natsu's grin was contagious, and his childish nature made him all the more endearing to her. She just wished that he would give her a heads up when he decided to eat her out of house and home.

"Ah, Natsu. Gomene, I suppose I went a little overboard, huh?"

Lucy smiled to herself as she washed dishes, remembering the way his face had lit up when she had returned home, waving at her with a chicken leg in hand, face stuffed with what looked like mashed potatoes, judging by the way it had been all over his chin. He was always so happy to see her, no matter where they were, or how long they had been apart. He was a part of her life, both at the guild and outside of it. He was her best friend.

But deep down, Lucy knew that they were going to be more than that someday, in spite of all her fervent denials. The way that they worked together seamlessly on jobs (well, maybe a few seams…), their easy-going banter, the trust they had in each other. They had seen each other at their best and their worst, and for crying out loud they practically lived together!

Lately, Lucy had found herself more prone than ever to his charms, and she felt that his attitude towards her was changing too. Nothing was ever spoken about it, it just happened. He would absentmindedly put his head on her lap when she was reading at home, and she would run her fingers through his soft pink strands as he gradually fell asleep. Or he would grasp her hand as he dragged her to a job, keeping his fingers entwined with hers even when they stopped running. She seemed to be taking care of Happy just as often as Natsu, and when he went on solo missions she sometimes stayed at his house, inhaling the scent of smoke and cedar off of his pillow and wondering when he would return.

From the outside, it certainly looked like they were together, yet every time someone brought it up the pair of them would blush fervently and pretend it was nothing. Mira especially kept pushing for a confession, but Lucy felt that it wouldn't happen with words when they did get together. He would kiss her one day, out of the blue, then she would smile at him, and they would go back to the way things always were, but with a new sense of intimacy.

Lucy pulled herself away from her daydreams as she finished drying the dishes, and looked over her freshly cleaned kitchen before going to open her window. She just couldn't bring herself to stay mad at him for very long. She leaned on the sill and looked out at the Magnolia skyline, relishing in the gentle breeze.

"Maybe I should go make it up to him somehow…"


	2. Chapter 2: Summer Sun

**Here's chapter 2! Special thanks to all of you who have followed/favorited this story, I never thought that anyone would even read it!**

 **For all the GraLu fans out there, the first 4 or 5 chapters of this story will seem pretty heavy on the NaLu, but don't worry, the real action is starting soon!**

Chapter 2: Summer Sun

In the woods just outside of Fiore, a young woman walked along the well-worn path carved between the trees by the constant footfalls of a certain pink-haired dragon slayer and his blue exceed. Though Lucy herself had trod the path many times by now, she always felt a degree of remoteness from her setting. The woods surrounding his home were undoubtedly beautiful, especially now, with the golden light of the evening sun casting through the trees to briefly illuminate the small insects drifting on the gentle breeze.

In Lucy's eyes, the woods were another part of Natsu. As a child, the hours he had spent here had gradually shaped him into the man he was today, and though he was an oblivious idiot, the trees never complained of his childlike nature. They provided materials for his home and training, as well as game to sustain him during the cold winter months, standing sentinel when he was out on a mission. It was a comforting sensation, to feel so much of him through her surroundings, although the trees did carry with them an air of wisdom and serenity that she highly doubted Natsu would ever display.

Readjusting the picnic basket on her arm to relieve the pressure building in her muscles, Lucy smiled to herself as she pictured his forthcoming reaction to the dinner she had prepared for him. It had taken no less than three hours, one rather pricy trip to the market, and six different recipes to prepare the delectable feast that she hoped would make up for her previous actions. She had cooked several of his favorite dishes, spicy creations that would leave a normal person gasping, but seemed to have almost no effect upon Natsu. Needless to say, during the time they had known each other, Lucy had greatly improved her tolerance for spicy foods.

"AGHHHHH!"

The serene peace of the forest was shattered by a warlike scream which caused the birds to take wing, and Lucy's heart to begin screaming as she nearly jumped out of her own skin. Swiveling her head to the left to evaluate what may have been the source of the noise, she encountered on of the strangest sites of her life. Sticking out from what might have once been a woodpecker hole in a tree was a pair of legs, clad in baggy white pants with sandals on the feet. Also observing this oddity was a small blue cat with wings, with a facial expression somewhere between confusion and sheepishness.

"AGHH! Happy! Get me out of here! It's too dark!"

The legs kicked back and forth as Natsu's voice sounded from within the tree trunk, slightly muffled by wood pressing in on him.

"But Natsu, you said you wanted to work on aerial attacks. What are you doing inside of a tree?"

Happy sounded so genuinely stumped that Lucy had to giggle, and in response to the sound the series of curses echoing from inside the tree came to a sudden halt.

"Ne, Happy, is that Lucy? I can't smell a thing from in here…"

Happy brought a fuzzy paw up to his face to hide his burgeoning grin, and spoke in a muffled voice loaded with condemnation, "Natsu, Lucy is laughing at you."

"ACK!"

Almost instantly the pair of legs began thrashing again, and soon enough a tousled head of pink hair became visible. Natsu grinned at Lucy and crossed his arms, looking battle-ready for all the world in his dragon-made muffler and one-sleeved jacket, except for the minor detail that he was coated in grime and leaves. Happy merely snicked at the antics of his adoptive father and best friend, then floated over to Lucy, eyeing the basket in her hands with hopeful eyes.

"Luuushiiii, what's in there?"

Lucy smiled mischeviously at the exceed and reached a hand up to ruffle the fur between his ears before she whispered to him, knowing perfectly well that Natsu's enhanced sense of hearing could pick up her words.

"Well, I was kind of mean to Natsu today, so I made dinner for us. And you know what else I did?" She paused for dramatic effect, "I broiled a freshly caught fish just for you."

Before she could process what had happened, she found her face enveloped in a furry hug from her blue friend, right before he grabbed the basket from her hands and took off. She laughed as she watched the small blue figure making a beeline for his favorite spot on the banks of the river that ran behind Natsu's home, quickly followed by a pink-haired man running at full speed, at which point she decided that unless she wanted to go hungry, she had better chase after them.

"HEY! Just because I made it for you doesn't mean that you get to eat all of it!"

When Lucy reached the river bank, she was met by smiles from her boys, reclined on the checked picnic blanket she had packed for just this purpose. They had all of the dishes already out of the basket, but surprisingly hadn't delved into any of them. Even Happy hadn't taken a single bite out of his fish! She sat down with them, astonished that they had waited for her, and together they began to dig in.

Fifteen minutes later, Happy was snoozing with his paws folded satisfactorily on his rounded white tummy, the remains of his meal cast to the side. Every now and then, a small bug would attempt to land on him, but Happy unconsciously flicked his ear so as to foil their plans, and slept on peacefully. Lucy smiled at the sight; Happy was just so cute!

Natsu grinned knowingly as he observed Lucy's face. Happy was certainly hard to resist. Some of the men in the guild (coughWakaba cough coughMacao) had said that having a pet was a definite chick magnet, a statement that resulted in Loke adopting a goldfish the very next day (the number of dates he went on never did increase though, since the goldfish died two days later). Natsu had never tried to use Happy like that though. Happy was his friend, not a tool! But sometimes, when he saw that adorable face the Lucy made whenever she felt the overwhelming urge to hug some small creature, he felt glad that Happy was so cuddly (unlike Gajeel's weird-ass cat… sheesh, the damn thing looked like it had been taking steroids for years).

Soon enough, Lucy reclined back onto the picnic blanket and closed her eyes, her sated appetite beginning to drag her towards sleep. When she spoke her words were just barely slurred, the consonants more rounded in their vocalization.

"Sorry 'bout earlier Natsu. I really did overreact. You know you're always welcome."

Inexplicably, she could hear Natsu grinning from ear to ear, and most likely formulating plans for a reprise visit. His next words would have normally brought her up shrieking, but since Happy was sleeping she restrained herself.

"Are you going to cook dinner for us every time you run out of food?"

She opened her eyes to grant him one of the most wearisome looks she had ever achieved, and was about to make a quiet retort when her eyes caught sight of a leaf sitting in his pink locks, waving back and forth as if to taunt the very person who was playing host to it. Her eyes narrowed on it, and she quietly spoke to Natsu, who loomed above her.

"Natsu, come here."

Instantly his grin disappeared, and he warily leaned towards her, his onyx-colored orbs flickering between her eyes and her lips, then flinching away slightly when she extended a hand up towards him. She stilled her movement, and he gently leaned into her hand, his lips parted, and just beginning to close his eyes when she plucked the leaf from his hair.

"Got it." She whispered smugly from beneath him as she held the leaf in front of his face.

"Huh?" Natsu's eyes followed the motion of the leaf, and he leaned back away from her. "What's that for?"

Lucy laughed, a bubble of joy emerging from between her parted lips as observed his confusion.

"You had a leaf in your hair, idiot. Get rid of it for me?"

Natsu grinned and puffed out a quick burst of flame from his mouth, burning the leaf into oblivion, and almost singeing Lucy's fingers, which she quickly pulled back with a gasp. As he watched the remains of the leaf flutter away on the breeze with a look of satisfaction, Lucy pouted.

"Natsu, you almost burned me."

He looked down at her with a face that spoke no apology, and stated matter-of-factly:

"I would never hurt you."

He then reached out to grasp her hand, and entwined his fingers with hers before lying down with his head on her stomach. Absentmindedly, she began to stroke the pink strands, content that she had everything she could ever want, when she felt a light vibration from his chuckles.

"What are you thinking about?"

She spoke quietly, the only sound besides their breathing the soft chirping of birds in the distance, and the steady rush of the river over its rocky bed.

"Think an aerial attack would work on the ice princess?"

Some things never change.


	3. Chapter 3: The Late Days of August

**Yeah I know, I haven't updated in like, 6 months. In my defense, it was a really rough semester, and I haven't really had time to do anything. But, enough excuses, it's winter break now, and next semester doesn't look quite as bad, so maybe I'll be able to find more time to work on my writing, but no promises.**

 **Anyways, thanks to everyone who has followed/favorited this story, or even just given it a cursory read for fun! I hope this chapter lives up to your expectations! As always, I love to read your reviews and learn what I can do better.**

 **Once again, this chapter is pretty heavy on the NaLu, but fear not GraLu fans! Change is fast approaching, mwahaha!**

 **Enjoy!**

Chapter 3: The Late Days of August

"Geez, this place is a pigsty. Don't you ever clean, flame-brain?"

Lucy sighed to herself and ran a hand down her weary face as Natsu moved to initiate yet another brawl with Gray. This time however, the fight would not be located in the reasonably open (and somewhat broken-in) space of the guild, but in Natsu's small cabin, which was, as Gray had so eloquently stated, "a pigsty". No matter how many times Lucy tidied the rustic abode, it always seemed to breed more filth, and unfortunately she hadn't found adequate time to remedy said situation before Gray arrived.

"You say something ice cube?"

Natsu was in Gray's face at this point, fists already lit aflame, and eyes narrowed to slits.

"Maybe if you weren't such a dumbass you would have gotten it already!"

"And maybe if you weren't such a stuck-up Popsicle you wouldn't feel the need to barge in!"

"You invited me, Idiot!"

"No I didn't! You are so going down!"

"Yes you did flame-tard! Bring it on!"

Lucy could feel the air pressure rising, a side effect of the temperature differences radiating off of the two young men, and she decided to step in before the cabin collapsed, or she got caught up in the brawl. The latter was more likely to happen first, and she did NOT want today to end in yet another concussion or broken bone.

"Natsu! Gray! Stop it, stop it, STOP IT! It's my fault! Just stop!" Lucy yelled frantically, waving her arms back and forth as she approached the pair with haste. It was nigh impossible to get them to focus on anything but their opponent when they got like this (unless your name was Erza), and she hoped that her increase in volume would at least get them to break eye contact with each other.

"I invited him over! I'm sorry I didn't clean! Please don't do this here! I just wanted to fix the floorboards! Stop! I'll cook dinner again! Just STOP! NATSU!"

Lucy's voice was so high-pitched and fast by this point that her words were beginning to echo off the interior of the cabin, and her shoulders were beginning to burn from the exertion of her constant flailing motions, yet she braced herself mentally to continue screaming as a small voice in the back of her mind offered the disparaging thought that these sorts of efforts never really worked where the guild was concerned anyways…

"Really?! You'll cook dinner again?!" Natsu eagerly exclaimed, breaking her train of anti-motivational thought and causing her to let out a relieved sigh.

She had noticed just within the past week or so that some of the wooden boards that formed Natsu's floor were in rough condition, with well-defined cracks in a few of them that were threatening to give way to splinters. It hadn't bothered her much initially, since she was never in their cabin barefoot anyways, but then she remembered that Happy didn't wear shoes, and the thought of having to remove a splinter was enough to motivate action. It wasn't necessarily the notion of performing the procedure itself that she dreaded, but she sensed that a great deal of squirming and crying would accompany the task unless she chose to utilize the tried-and-true "cat burrito" method, which would ultimately result in a great deal more crying later on.

And though she would deny it if ever asked, the building sexual tension between her and Natsu was causing her to consider the possibility that soon enough she might end up walking around his cabin without shoes… or socks… or clothes… Hmm… striding confidently towards him in nothing more than a negligee, watching as his eyes widened appreciatively… The way his lips would caress her skin as she gripped his shoulders tightly, her breath hitching in a pleasured gasp…

ACK! Lucy mentally slapped herself and redirected her attention to the two young males in front of her. Natsu's eyes were lit up hopefully with a signature grin hiding beneath the surface (oh, right, she had promised to make him dinner again, friggin baka), while Gray evaluated his surroundings with evident distaste.

"Yes Natsu, I can make you dinner again. Just not tonight, okay?" Lucy spoke with relief in her tone, then clapped her hands together.

"Yoosh! Here's what I had planned! I want to get _these_ ," she tapped her toes on one of the more damaged boards, "out of here. They're getting dangerous Natsu, especially for Happy!"

Natsu looked at the boards in confusion, as if wondering when they managed to become so beaten up, and Lucy felt her heart stutter at the adorable face he was making. Honestly, had there ever been a time when he wasn't attractive? Wait, scratch that last… he was kinda gross to be around on trains… No, that was still sorta cute, in a really weird way… Focus Lucy! Focus!

"So we are going to move everything outside, tear up the old boards, and put down new ones! Gray!" she pointed imperiously at him, her other hand on her hip, "Go out and make some new boards! Natsu!" her finger shifted its aim, "Move all your crap outside! And no complaints! The faster we get to work the faster we get finished! Let's do this!"

Lucy finished her motivational speech by striking a pose, with one hand on her hip, and the other in a tight fist. And though the response from the two young males was sorely lacking in enthusiasm (Gray actually rolled his eyes, while Natsu continued to look confused as he evaluated the condition of his flooring), she knew that they were on board for the project. If they managed to work cooperatively, the new floorboards would be set in just a few hours! If they didn't though…

8 hours later.

A neat pile of freshly made floorboards lay outside the cabin, courtesy of Gray's ability to slice trees using his ice blades, and Scorpio's sand blasts, which had worn down the rough patches left in the grain. Inside the cabin, the only remnants of the damaged boards were the occasional pieces of ash that were being kicked up by the gentle evening breeze, and visible only if the light from the setting sun hit them just right.

Standing on the steps of the cabin, Lucy was coated from head to toe in dirt, pine sap, sweat, sand, and ash. She could feel the grime sticking to the sweat on her body, and knew that she probably resembled someone fresh out of a warzone. _Not a bad comparison_ , she thought to herself, _no thanks to friggin' Natsu._

The entire day had been rife with tension, starting immediately from the point when she went to help Gray by sanding the new boards, leaving Natsu with the task of moving his stuff outside. The pink-haired dragon-slayer had pouted and muttered something about her preferring the ice-cube over him before grudgingly setting to his task as she departed. Though she had felt a strong urge to throttle him for acting like a child, she knew that acknowledging his behavior was the equivalent of encouraging it sometimes.

Then, while helping Gray, she had accidentally given herself a splinter while assessing the edges of a board, which actually didn't hurt as much as it could have. Gray, however, had heard her pained yelp, and quickly run over to ask what was wrong. In retrospect, the way he had tenderly held her hand as he examined the puncture site may have looked a touch romantic, but in truth it was just a friendly sort of thing. Lucy hadn't thought anything of it, but apparently it had been enough to send Natsu over the edge.

One second, she had been standing next to Gray with her small hand in his larger icy ones, and the next she found that he had been replaced with a flame-encased Natsu as Gray sailed through the air to make a shattering impact upon a nearby tree.

Needless to say, what followed was at least a ten minute brawl that resulted in the partial destruction of every tree within a quarter mile radius, but miraculously left the new boards untouched.

Afterwards, once the two males had exhausted themselves to the point of barely being able to stand anymore, Lucy had dragged Natsu off by the ear back to his cabin, where they finished moving furniture out and tearing up the remaining boards in silence. Tension had filled the air as they worked, and every time Natsu looked as if he were about to say something Lucy would shoot him a glare that just _dared_ him to speak, scaring him back into silence.

When Gray had dropped by the cabin to announce that the rest of the new boards just needed sanding, Lucy had come outside and thanked him with a smile, then offered her own help with any renovations that needed to be done in his own home. His raven locks had lazily drifted across his face in the breeze as he laughed and said that her spirits were potentially some of the best construction workers he had seen in a while, his laughter bringing out the sparkle in his dark eyes. She giggled at the thought, imagining the chaos that could ensue if Gemi and Mini were allowed to handle any form of paint, until she considered the things that Aquarius might say if Lucy asked her to perform manual labor, at which point her grin morphed into a somewhat terrified grimace. Gray's quizzical look led her to explain her fears, and they were soon laughing together as they pictured her various spirits doing home repairs.

Meanwhile, Natsu had sulked within the cabin, burning up the last of the damaged boards with a little more vengeance than necessary before stomping outside in the direction of the river, making sure to "accidentally" brush against Gray with just enough force to test the ice mage's balance. Thankfully, Gray had seemed to sense that Lucy was in no mental condition to deal with another all-out brawl, and had graciously let it go, deciding to head home. As he walked down the path, Lucy waved goodbye one last time before emitting a tired sigh and hanging her head in a silent prayer of thanks to whatever forces had gotten her through the day.

All things considered, the job had for the most part been finished, and nobody was injured. Raising her head, she looked in the direction of the setting sun, and paused to appreciate the beauty of the pinks and reds that lingered behind the trees. It reminded her of a sunset she had seen long ago, shortly after she ran away from home.

 _The shrill cries of seagulls were muted as she gazed at the brilliant hues coloring the horizon of Hargeon port, a smile gracing her lips. Tonight was the night! She would get on that yacht in her prettiest red dress, and use her charm to finally earn her rightful place in Fairy Tail. Oh, Fairy Tail! She had wanted to become a member for so long, and now her lifelong dream was finally within her reach!_

 _Still, she would have to put up with that creep… Ugh. A shudder ran down her spine at the thought of his greasy smirk, and the unashamed evaluation he had given her body when they ran into each other at the park. So creepy… If it hadn't been for that pink-haired idiot… what was his name again? Oh, right. Natsu. If it hadn't been for Natsu showing up, she too would remain under Bora's spell…_

Lucy smiled as she considered that. If it hadn't been for Natsu, who knew where she might have ended up! Although her best friend could be unbelievably aggravating, and at times just plain ridiculous, he was a genuine person who had saved her life more times than she could begin to count, and he never ceased to amaze her with the depth of his emotions. Like the season after which he was named, Natsu was the physical embodiment of warmth. A glowing sun that had burst onto the horizon of her life and filled it with more colors than she had ever known existed.

With this in mind, she quietly walked around the house toward the river bank, looking for the flash of pink hair that would mark the presence of the dragon slayer she sought. A short distance from the edge of the woods, there he was. Sitting cross legged on the riverbank with one arm propped on a knee, holding his head while the other mindlessly tossed pebbles at the small eddies gently tumbling in the current. She began to approach, and he glared at the river as he continued his small game, paying her no attention, even when she sat down next to him and began to emulate his actions.

"Natsu…"

His only response was a short grunt. Lucy inhaled deeply and mentally arranged her thoughts into a coherent monologue.

"Natsu, I know that you and Gray don't get along sometimes. Deep down though, he really does care about you, and I know that you care about him too. You're nakama."

At this point, Natsu stopped throwing pebbles, and his face morphed into one of resentful consideration, but he still didn't make eye contact with her. She watched him to make sure that he seemed to be following her train of thought before turning to throw a final pebble of her own, and observe a few salmon fry darting back and forth near the edge of the water in rapid motions that mirrored the tempo of her heart.

"I won't say that I'm sorry for getting frustrated with you, because from my perspective it's totally justifiable. The things you do sometimes just, yeah. But I will say this… You have nothing to worry about when it comes to Gray..."

As one of the fry took a mad leap towards a midge floating downstream, she averted her eyes from the aquatic drama to check Natsu's reaction. He was actually looking at her now, his onyx eyes reflecting confusion mingled with something that she couldn't quite put her finger on… Quickly turning her eyes back toward the water, she continued.

"He and I… I just don't see it ever happening. Not when… not when you are here, Natsu. I guess, what I'm trying to get across is… that I don't feel anything special for Gray. So you don't have to worry about he and I being alone together, because even if he tried something, I wouldn't go for it."

This being said, she looked away from the fry again, who was now happily munching away on the midge, and into the unreadable eyes of her best friend, who was staring at her with the expression of someone who had been recently hit on the head by a club-wielding vulcan. Once again, it appeared he had nothing to say. If he still couldn't understand what she was saying, maybe they weren't ready for this conversation yet. Sighing, she pulled herself to her feet and was beginning to walk back towards the cabin when she felt a warm and calloused hand gently grasp her own.

"Lucy… wait…"

Her heart pounding in her chest, she peered over her shoulder through the blonde curtain of her hair and looked upward through her lashes in askance. He was closer than she had thought, and the scent of cedar and smoke, combined with his warmth, heightened her senses as she pulled in a shaky breath. She gazed into his onyx pools, and he took hesitantly began to speak.

"Lucy, I…"

She waited as he struggled to put words to his thoughts, until eventually he looked at her with fiery determination and swore.

"Fuck it."

And then he was kissing her. She instantly responded, lifting herself onto her toes and wrapping her arms around his torso as his hands cupped her face. Everything she had dreamed of as a kiss from Natsu was there. The passion, the strength, and _the_ _heat_. His lips were far from gentle, but she would never want something that out of character for him. Natsu was a man of action and unapologetic emotion. What he felt, he shared, and the depth of his feelings for her were carried through his lips onto hers. Like a red-hot brand, he was marking her identity with his own, concentrating years of unspoken yearning into a single blazing moment.

Caught in the whirlwind of passions, Lucy gently pressed the tip of her tongue against his lips, asking for entrance, and he responded quickly by allowing it and invading her own mouth in kind. One of his hands traveled from her face to the back of her head, where he tangled his fingers into her blonde mane, tilting her to allow himself better access. Meanwhile, Lucy's hands tightened their grip on his black jacket, relishing in the feel of the defined muscles hiding beneath the fabric.

All too soon, they were forced to break away for air, but Natsu refused to relinquish his hold on Lucy, enfolding her into his arms and bringing her tighter in to his chest. Lucy inhaled his warm scent and let out a contented exhale, until a sudden thought occurred to her, and she began to giggle.

"What is it?"

Natsu's voice, huskier than normal, reverberated as she giggled into his chest, shaking her head, then pulled back to stare into his quizzical face.

"'Fuck it?' That's one hell of a confession Natsu."

At this, the dragon slayer flashed his signature grin, and kissed her again before replying,

"Never been good with the words Luce."


	4. Chapter 4: August Heat

I suck at updating. If you guys have it in your hearts to forgive me for that, feel free to drop a review :)

Things get pretty steamy in this chapter, so consider yourself warned!

 **Chapter 4: August Heat**

"You don't look so good Luce. Are you okay?"

It was a sweltering 41 degrees Celsius outside, and Lucy was lying spread-eagled on the floor of Natsu's cabin alongside Happy. Both of them had rivers of sweat running off of them, and were desperately trying to keep themselves cool by exposing their bodies to the relatively lower temperature of the floorboards.

Natsu, however, remained unbothered by the August heat thanks to his magic, which essentially rendered him impervious to the agony of major temperature fluctuations, much to Lucy's annoyance. The brutal cold of mount Hakobe? Natsu just heated himself up while Lucy shivered inside Horologium. The raging heat of Magnolia in the summertime? Natsu didn't even notice the heat, while Lucy melted. Granted she was glad that he didn't have to suffer the same struggles as her, but it was still frustrating to be around someone who could never empathize with her reality.

"Ugh… I'm fine Natsu. I just wish this heat would stop."

"Oh. Is it really _that_ hot?"

Lucy gritted her teeth and closed her eyes, chanting silently to herself: _I will not kill Natsu for being insensitive. I will not kill Natsu for being insensitive. I will not kill Natsu for being insensitive._ It had been almost a month since they had finally reached an understanding of their feelings, and not much had changed between them in their daily interactions. He had a knack for ticking her off in the worst way. She heard Happy moan beside her.

"Aye, Natsu? This is the worst. I feel like I'm going to melt. And Lucy is sweating so much that it's gross."

"You shitty cat! If I had the energy I would get up right now and turn you into a scarf!"

"Waaah! Natsu why did you have to fall in love with Lucy? She's so mean!"

"Shut it you mangy feline!"

"Waaah! There she goes again!"

Natsu chuckled to himself from his position in his hammock as he gently swayed back and forth, his foot pushing against the wall. Lucy always got angry at the strangest things. But then again he had come to expect it by now. She was a weirdo after all.

"Natsu?"

"Yeah Luce?"

"Would you mind if I crashed here tonight? The heat was really bad this morning in the city, so I'm guessing that my apartment feels like an oven right now. At least here you don't have all the paving stones absorb the sunshine."

"Sure thing Luce. D'you want the hammock or the couch?"

Lucy emitted a groan and threw her arm over her face.

"I think I'll just stay on the floor if you don't mind. It's cooler down here."

"Eh? The floor? Well, whatever makes you happy I guess."

"I was only joking Natsu. I'll take the couch." Lucy moved her arm back to its prior position on the floor and turned her head slightly towards the well-worn couch sitting in the room, the red upholstery bringing back memories from a couple days ago.

 _She was lounging on his couch with a book in one hand, absentmindedly stroking the head of her favorite dragon slayer with the other, as he drifted between wakefulness and sleep while reclined in her lap. It was a position that both of them had been intimately familiar with for at least a year, despite the fact that their relationship had only become definitive within the past few weeks. He had always enjoyed her soothing presence, and she appreciated the companionship that was a welcome respite from the loneliness of her life prior to joining Fairy Tail._

 _Natsu frowned as the hand that had been stroking his hair ceased its motions, and he cast a glance upwards in hopes of ascertaining the cause. Lucy seemed to be thoroughly engrossed in her book as always, but there was a defined grimace on her face, and her eyebrows were pulled together in consternation. Thinking that this was slightly out of character for her, Natsu raised a hand and poked her cheek, instantly breaking her concentration. She looked at him quizzically._

 _"What?"_

 _"You look weird."_

 _"Why thank you Natsu. I'll add that to the list of greatest compliments I've ever received." She huffed back at him while rolling her eyes, before delving back into her book. Almost instantly, the grimace returned, and Natsu poked her cheek again. This time, Lucy put down her reading and looked at Natsu with raised eyebrows._

 _"You're doing it again Luce."_

 _"Doing what?"_

 _"Being weird."_

 _Reflecting on this cryptic remark, Lucy came the realization that he was probably referring to her reactions to the book she was reading. She had always felt relatively strong reactions to the situations of fictional characters in the stories she read, probably a side effect of her own time spent writing and developing her characters, and she was somewhat notorious for having easy-to-read facial expressions._

 _"Oh, it's just that one of the characters in this book is being really stupid, and it frustrates me." She said with a reassuring smile._

 _"Huh?"_

 _"This prince thinks that he can tame a pair of very angry dragons with just a whip, and I'm pretty sure that he's going to die. It's too bad really, he seemed like a nice character."_

 _"That's stupid. You can't tame a dragon. What kind of crap are you reading anyways?"_

 _"Natsu! Be nice!" She gently flicked his forehead, but the smile on her face told him that she wasn't really angry. "Someone worked very hard on this book!"_

 _Natsu reached up and grabbed her wrist, angling it so that he could see the cover of the book. "Uh huh, sure. But Georgio should get the facts straight."_

 _Lucy laughed out loud at that statement, and carefully set her book down before turning her full attention back to Natsu. "It's George, not Georgio. And it's fiction writing, so technically he can shape his world however he wants, even if it isn't very accurate to us."_

 _"You can't tame a dragon though! They're free! And crazy strong too!" Lucy smiled at Natsu as he continued ranting, watching the rapid gesturing of his hands. "This one time, Igneel totally blasted off the top of a mountain with a single Kayruu no houkou! Just one! The mountain had this giant crater in the middle of it, and I swear it had to be half a mile away from where we were training. It was so awesome!"_

 _"It sounds kind of terrifying to me, but I'll take your word for it. The dragons in the book are very different from the ones in this world." Lucy gently took one of Natsu's hands into her own and cradled it against her face. "They act more like animals than anything else, and they don't have magic. They're also very cruel." She turned her face to kiss his palm, and looked down into warm onyx eyes._

 _"Our world's dragons are way better. But do you want to know what I prefer over dragons?"_

 _Natsu twisted his form and sat up so that he was sitting beside her on the couch, still allowing her to hold his hand as he regarded her questioningly. Smiling, she let go of his hand, leaned in towards him and whispered into his ear "I prefer my very own dragon slayer."_

 _Lucy nuzzled into the crook underneath his ear and pressed her lips to his neck, feeling his muscular arms wrap around her torso, calloused hands rough against her skin as they slipped beneath the hem of her shirt. She sighed with pleasure at his warmth, and parted her lips to suck on the now rapidly pulsing artery that ran down the column of his neck. The way his breath hitched and his arms tightened encouraged her to continue, and as she was moving her tongue to caress his scar she found herself bodily lifted and placed astride Natsu's lap. Grinning, she pulled back to regard him with a raised eyebrow, questioning how quickly he had surrendered to her advances._

 _Natsu only smirked back at her and ran his hands down her lithe frame until he reached her hips, then shifted his path backwards to firmly grasp her rear and pull her flush against his crotch, allowing her to feel his rapidly growing hardness against the throbbing heat of her center. Her eyes fluttered as she moaned, knowing that she was no longer the one holding the reins, and not minding that at all._

 _Natsu watched her with a hint of smugness, eyes lingering on the way her chest rose and fell with her breaths. No one else got to see this side of Lucy; no one else was permitted to make her feel this way so long as he was around. He leaned forward, grasping the neckline of her shirt between his teeth, and yanked backwards. Lucy's eyes widened when she glanced downward to find the source of the ripping sound she had heard just a second ago, but when she opened her mouth to yell at him for ripping her shirt, the only sound she was able to emit was a breathy gasp as Natsu assaulted her now free breasts with his teeth, gently suckling the soft flesh as his hands kneaded her ass._

 _Unable to mentally process anything beyond the sensations Natsu was eliciting, Lucy threaded her fingers through his soft pink locks and clutched him closer to her chest, throwing her head back to allow him better access. He responded by renewing his assault and clutching her lower half even closer to him, eliciting a sensual moan that made his cock twitch with longing. She was so soft and warm…_

 _He slipped his hands past the waistband of her shorts to enjoy the smooth texture of her skin, and in return Lucy's hands released their purchase on his hair, moving down to his shoulders to push his vest down and reveal the toned muscles hiding beneath. Realizing what she wanted, he pulled his hands away to toss his scarf to the side and allow the vest to slip off completely, while Lucy busied herself with undoing his belt buckle._

 _The feeling of fresh air reaching his hip bones finally pulled him out of the lust driven haze his mind had worked itself into, and a mental warning bell sounded. Wasn't it too soon for this sort of thing? They had only been dating for a few weeks for crying out loud! Was this what they really wanted?_

 _Noticing the way his motions froze, Lucy turned her attention away from the fastenings on his pants and looked into his warm onyx pools, her own eyes silently asking what was wrong. He reached a hand up to her face, gently cupping her cheek as his thumb stroked across her lips._

 _"Luce… I…"_

 _"What's wrong? I don't…" Natsu's heart clenched as he watched the lust in her eyes dim into self-doubt, and he rested his thumb on her lips to silence her._

 _"Luce, don't rush yourself. I'm ready when you are, but no hurry."_

 _She smiled in relief, and he allowed his hand to rest on her collarbone as she pressed her forehead against his. She never would have guessed that impulsive Natsu would be the one to slow things down, but then again, he was always full of surprises._

"Lucy, why do you have that weird grin on your face?" Happy's smug voice pulled her away from her memories, and she turned her head to look at the snickering cat, who now had a paw pressed against his mouth. "You look really creepy!"

"What was that fish-breath?!"

Happy quickly drifted away on his wings as Lucy reached over in a lazy attempt to grab him, and Natsu chuckled, chiming in with a "Watch out little buddy!". Lucy tilted her head back to give him a half-hearted glare, and felt a pool of desire settle into her belly at the sight of his rippling abs and heart-stopping grin.

If only it wasn't so damn hot outside…

 **Author note:** Just to let you know, the book Lucy is reading is _A Dance with Dragons._


	5. Chapter 5: Storm

**Author Note:** Here's the next chapter! It's finally time for the happy couple to draw their portion of the story to a close. NALU fans, this might be a good place to stop reading, cause this is a little bit brutal. Anyways, I hope the chapter doesn't disappoint. GrayLu will probably start in the next one, but it will be slow, considering how close Lucy and Natsu have been.

As always, a special thanks to everyone who favorites/follows and leaves a review. I really appreciate you guys taking the time to help me improve my writing skills!

 **Chapter 5: Storm**

The Magnolia skies were heavy with the weight of gathering storm clouds, and most of the townspeople had returned to their homes to enjoy a quiet evening with their families, wary of staying out any longer than necessary in open. All across town, windows were latched and shops closed as the promise of harsher winds lingered on the breeze.

But as usual, one place in Magnolia remained open and lit, filled with the welcoming aromas of good cooking and beer. Fairy Tail never shut its doors for ill weather, partially because if conditions got too bad, there were several wizards capable of reining in nature's powers, but also because the guild hall was a place to call home, no matter what was happening outside. So, as the clouds worked themselves into a frenzy in the skies above, Natsu and Lucy enjoyed the relative peacefulness of the guildhall inside.

 _It's unusual to see the guild so quiet…_ Lucy thought, looking around at the small handful of people still hanging around. The bar was almost empty, save for Laxus, who was nursing a glass of bourbon while chatting with Mira, who was keeping her hands occupied by cleaning out mugs. His team, the raijinshu, were playing cards at one of the tables, while in a corner near one of the windows Levy sat reading a book as Gajeel lightly strummed his guitar in the seat next to her.

"Damn. I almost wish the ice princess was here. I could use a good brawl." Natsu muttered as he reclined in the booth he was sharing with Lucy. The pair had come to the guild with the intention of taking a job for the day, but when the weather began to turn, they had chosen to hang around instead, busying themselves by playing cards and chatting with their fellow guildmates. Now that everyone had pretty much gone home though, Natsu was clearly becoming bored. Lucy sighed, looking at Natsu with tired eyes.

"It's probably a good thing that Gray is out on a job right now. The last time you two got into it that shiner he gave you lasted a couple days."

Natsu frowned at that statement, obviously not appreciating the reminder about the solid right hook Gray had landed on him. Stupid pervy popsicle. That damn thing had hurt!

"Whatever. I let him do that."

"Of course you did." Lucy smiled wearily, resting her head on her hands and turning her gaze to the corner where Levy was sitting with Gajeel. "Is it just me or have those two been really close lately?"

"Levy and the metal-head?"

"Mm-hm."

Natsu shrugged, closing his eyes. "I guess. I don't really pay attention to it though."

Lucy watched as Gajeel leaned over to ask Levy a question, only to be ignored by the book-lover, who was thoroughly engrossed in the novel she was reading. The dragon-slayer frowned and waved his hand in front of her face, but to no avail, so he grabbed Levy's book and held it away from her. The bluenette instantly reacted with a displeased yelp and began reaching for it, but Gajeel moved it further away with a mischevious "gi-hi", and the two began to bicker, Levy crawling over him to reach her book as he held it out of reach and used his superior size to impede her progress.

Lucy giggled as she watched them. "They're cute together."

"Nothing is cute about that jerk."

"Natsu!" Lucy playfully kicked him under the table, making him jump slightly. "This is Levy-chan we're talking about!"

"Hey! I never said anything about Levy not being cute! I just think she has poor taste." Lucy raised an eyebrow at that, and Natsu quickly began to back up his argument, "I mean, look at him! His face is full of holes!" Suddenly, Natsu paused, and a huge grin lit up his face as he began to boisterously laugh. "HAHAHA! He's HOLY! Get it? HAHAHA!"

Lucy grinned as she watched her idiot boyfriend. He really was a dork, but he was her dork, and she loved him. As he pounded the table with his fist in mirth, she giggled softly to herself and kicked off her sandals before she slowly slid a foot up his calf. His laughter gradually died down, and she saw a fire burning deep in his onyx eyes as he looked at her. The blonde smiled cheekily and allowed her foot to ride even higher up his leg, noticing how his muscles tensed slightly as she did. He leaned forwards, his voice now a whisper,

"Luce . . ."

"Yes?"

"I . . ." he looked downwards, dropping his hands below the table. She tilted her head in question, when suddenly she felt him grab her foot and his head snapped up, an evil grin on his face. "I'm going to get you!" Natsu began tickling her bare foot with no mercy as she thrashed about, desperately trying to free herself, and giggling all the while. Mira paused in her conversation with Laxus to watch the exchange take place, and smiled happily. She always knew those two would get together someday, they were just too perfect! Laxus just rolled his eyes and took another drink.

"Natsu! Haha stop! Hahahaha!" Lucy pulled at her foot until Natsu finally relented his tickling, but his hands never left her skin. Instead, they slid up her leg to caress her calf, and she relaxed in his hold as she looked at him with hooded eyes.

"Want to get out of here?" His voice was rougher than normal, the tone of it making Lucy tremble with anticipation. She nodded shakily, and Natsu released her leg to allow them both to stand. He took Lucy's hand into his larger one, and together they began to walk towards the main doors of the guild hall, Lucy waving goodbye to Mira as they went. They were almost there when suddenly the doors slammed open to reveal Erza, armor shimmering with fresh raindrops from the now raging storm outside.

"Natsu. I must speak with you." There was nothing light-hearted in her words. Even considering the businesslike manner that Erza normally took, there was something else laced in her tone, a certain sense of desperation and urgency that made Lucy nervous. Natsu felt it too, and he frowned.

"What do you need?"

"Nothing. At least, not for myself. I have just returned from a mission to capture some bandits bothering a small village near the edge of Fiore. While I was there, one of the villagers told me a story about a red monster they had seen in the mountains. Based on their description of the creature, I believe it may have been a dragon."

Natsu froze. Could it be? After all this time…

"Igneel…" his voice was a whisper, as if the faint ray of hope might disappear should he speak too loudly. His eyes bored into Erza's, and he was no longer whispering as he asked, "Where?"

"In the South, as you approach the Haunted Lands from Peace Village. The town I was in is right on the Graveyard Sea."

Lucy felt the warmth that had been enveloping her hand up until now vanish, and she watched with wide eyes as Natsu grasped Erza's shoulder in silent thanks as he passed by, heading out the doors of the guild hall and running into the storm outside. The redhead glanced his way out of the corner of her eye before smiling at Lucy, "Lucy, it's good to see you. How have you been?"

The blonde didn't reply, running past her and out into the rain after Natsu, ignoring Erza's call after her. There would be time to apologize later, right now she had to find Natsu! He finally had some direction towards Igneel's whereabouts, and his lifelong goal of being reunited with his father was in reach. He would want them to leave tonight, undoubtedly.

Lucy's mind raced as she ran through the street towards the edge of the city, trying to map out transportation, lodging, and the infinite details of cross-country travel in her head all at once. The train would get them as far as Hargeon, and beyond that a ship might be the most efficient way to travel along the coast. She just hoped that Natsu would be okay spending that long on transportation…

Natsu… It wasn't like him to just leave her without a word, but she understood the stress he must be feeling. Her head whipped back and forth, searching for any trace of the pink-haired dragon-slayer she loved. Lucy had a feeling that he had probably ran back to his cabin to get his pack and leave a note for Happy, who was visiting the Exceed village with Charle for a couple days. Just as soon as she made sure Natsu was okay she could throw together her own travel bag…

She was a block away from the edge of town when she found him. His bag was hanging off of his broad shoulders, and he was striding with purpose in the direction of the train station, pink hair damp with the rain. "Natsu!" She called out, desperate to get his attention, but he ignored her call and kept walking. "Natsu!" She tried again, feeling a trace of fear enter her heart.

"Natsu! Can you just wait one second?" She ran after him, stopping short when he turned to look at her, and believing he had finally acknowledged that she was trying to talk to him. But when she saw his eyes, her heart froze, and the fear that had been a fleeting phantom only a moment ago now rose to consume her. His eyes were cold. Hard.

"It's Igneel. I know it is! Goddamnit there's no time to wait!" His anger was apparent, but this was Natsu, he wouldn't hurt her. She took another step towards him.

"Natsu, I won't take long, I promise. I just need to grab my bag-"

"NO!" His furious roar cut her off, and she stared wide-eyed as his fists became wreathed in flames. She had never seen him this angry before when they weren't on a mission. "You don't get it Lucy! All my life I've been waiting for this! Igneel is out there, and there's no time! Nothing else matters right now!"

"Not even me?" Lucy was quiet, but she knew that Natsu could still hear her, even with the roaring thunder surrounding them. He didn't respond to her question, and starting to walk away again. This couldn't be happening… This wasn't Natsu… He wouldn't…

Lucy felt the first agonizing cracks of heartbreak course through her, and she gasped for air in desperation. No no no… Not like this… Not Natsu… This wasn't happening… she had just misunderstood something! HE COULDN'T DO THIS!

She ran towards his retreating figure, needing to feel his warmth. She had to feel his arms encircling her again, to know that he still loved her, that he wasn't abandoning her. He would never do that. She reached for his wrist, and her fingers grazed his skin lightly. For a moment, she was warm again, and her heart paused its rapid tattoo in her ribcage. He wouldn't leave her…

It was oddly peaceful as she watched his fist, wreathed in white-hot flames, approach the left side of her face. Then her world shattered into a thousand tiny fragments, and the pain of her skin melting was merely a faint echo of what her heart was feeling. She collapsed to the ground, but the chilled cobblestones provided no relief. Natsu…

She let the rain soak her through to the bone, and after what felt like an eternity, she pulled herself to her knees, shaking from the tears and the adrenaline. He had hurt her. He had left her. He didn't love her. _It was all a lie…Natsu..._

Lucy turned her face to the sky, but no one heard her scream as the thunder echoed overhead, the storm not aware of, and not caring that her heart would never be the same.

 **Author note:** Please don't hate me.


End file.
